The Bond that never breaks
by I.wish.I.could.be.Number.Five
Summary: We know the story of the Garde and how they lost their Cepans. But how did they meet? How was the bond between them forged? What happened in those few precious years on Earth before the Mogadorians caught up to them? A story about the nine Cepans and nine Garde who came to Earth. There will be a different one-shot for every duo. Please read!
1. Adventures - The Beginning

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lorien Legacies**

**Hi guys!**

**So, I was writing some one-shots for my other story 'It's the little things that count' when I thought about writing a new story dedicated to the bond between Cepans and their Garde. I'll probably do all Ten Garde and their Cepans.**

**Each duo is going to be split into three: The Beginning, The Middle, The End. This first one is for Reynolds and Eight.**

**Please read!**

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Adventures - The Beginning

Reynolds

Meeting your Garde is perhaps one of the most important things you'll ever do as a Mentor Cepan. Especially for me, since mine is going to be one of the future Elders and perhaps could be affected by the prophecy.

Though I pray to Lorien he's not.

"Ah, look at you! Don't you look smart!" my sister, Arianna, coos as she walks over and straightens my shirt. I try to push her away but she's a Garde and therefore much stronger than me. It's often the case with families; two children, one Garde and one Cepan.

I got the short straw.

All my childhood, I've watched my younger sister with jealousy as she's raced around the house, faster than me and stronger as well. When I was seven, I was able to climb the huge tree in my grandparents' house right to the top. My sister did it when she was five.

I love her, don't get me wrong. And I love my job as a Mentor Cepan. I love meeting the young Garde and helping them hone their powers. But there are times when I see a Garde grab something without moving or create incredible displays of light with their legacies, when I get jealous.

"Get off" I mutter affectionately, gently batting her hands away. She smiles and pecks my cheek as I nervously appraise my appearance. Tanned skin, black hair, young features. I'm not wearing a suit for this occasion but instead opted for trousers and a shirt.

I've heard some Garde can be troublemakers.

"Good luck!" she calls as I exit the house. I raise my hand in a wave as I walk down our path. It's a short walk to the house of my Garde, who lives in the housing areas outside the City. I check my bag again, making sure I have his bracelet or actually, the device that allows me to track him.

Lorien is a beautiful planet and the houses here do not disappoint. Here, on the edge of the City, the houses are made out of a special wood that can withstand any weather. They're flat yet spacious and usually have the most beautiful gardens. My house that I share with my sister has a striking water feature in the middle of our internal courtyard, sort of like a Roman villa from Earth.

As I continue to walk down the path towards my Garde's house, my pulse picks up with nerves and I begin to sweat, despite the fresh breeze. I'm very nervous; today I will create a bond that will last between us two for many years to come and that scares me.

After what feels like hours but can only have been minutes, I come to the house of my Garde. It's particularly beautiful, this one. It's on the outskirts of the estate and the back garden leads onto the woods, I assume.

I knock on the door, my pulse increasing until it's almost a sprint when the door opens. There stands my Garde's grandfather, a lean man with a kind face.

"Hey" I manage to say without squeaking. He nods at me and moves aside so I can come through. He seems shy, sort of like me, and I enter relieved.

So far so good.

"I assume you're here to see Joseph" he says, his voice quiet. I nod and smile, feeling better once I've met this man. Usually in Loric relationships, there's a quiet one and a not so quiet one. Most but not all relationships though.

"Hello!" I turn at the bright voice and see Joseph's grandmother standing there. Like her husband, she's also slim but has a pretty face and stunning green eyes. Her face is friendly and looks as though she laughs a lot.

"My name's Tenni and my husband's Arvan" she says with a smile. I shake her hand and return the grin, relieved by her happy attitude.

"But you're not here to see us, are you?" she talks to herself as she bustles through to the kitchen. Arvan follows us quietly. We walk through some more rooms until we come to the garden. I'm terrified yet so excited.

"We'll leave you to it" Tenni says with a wink as she beckons Arvan to follow her. They do so and I'm left alone. My pulse is still thundering and my shirt sticks to my back with sweat.

Can you tell I'm nervous?

I take a couple of steps out into the garden, looking for my Garde. I only know his name and how old he is: five. I think about calling his name but I don't.

"Who are you?"

I turn around to see a tanned young boy staring back at me. Joseph. He's tall already and quite thin. He has his grandmother's amazing green eyes and friendly face but I don't know who he gets his curly black hair from.

"I'm Reynolds" I say bending down and holding out my hand. The boy grins and jumps forward, eager to shake mine. He then runs away and nimbly climbs up a small tree nearby, watching me from a branch. His quickness stuns me.

"I'm Joseph" he says, standing up and walking to the end of the branch. I can't help but laugh as he lightly jumps onto the next branch of another tree nearby. He's testing me, seeing if I can handle him.

He's smart; he knows I'm nervous.

He grins when I laugh and then swings upside down, hanging from the branch by his legs. I don't run forwards to stop him like most Cepans would but instead sit down on the ground and watch him.

"Do your grandparents let you do this?" I ask with a grin. He shakes his head, making the branch sway.

"No, but they can't catch me. Can you?" he asks with a grin. Something about that makes me want to challenge him, join in with his lively behaviour and have fun. I know the tree is strong, I just hope I'm good enough for this.

I stand up and quickly grab a branch of the tree, swinging myself up onto the branch. I hook my legs over the side, brace myself and then let myself fall backwards. I grip on tightly with my legs and it pays off, I hang safely next to Joseph. His mouth is open in shock and awe and then he grins at me in admiration.

"Hey kid" I say, as though we're sitting down and enjoying a drink, not hanging upside down a couple of feet up.

"We're going to have some great adventures" Joseph says, flipping off the tree and onto the ground as though it was the easiest thing in the world. He grabs my hanging arms and pulls me to the ground, steadying me when it looks like I might fall. He's strong already.

"We sure are" I say, already liking him.

Xxx

Seven weeks later

"But I wanna play!" Joseph whines as I limp down the path to his house. Yep, _limp._

Joseph had decided it would be fun to hang off a tree above a valley this afternoon. A _valley_. After saying I was no fun, he had then proceeded to tap dance across the branch when it snapped. After a picture-worthy dive by me, I managed to catch him but now I think I've seriously injured my knee.

I swear, my Garde has an unhealthy obsession with trees.

"Joseph, I'm really not in the mood" I mutter, my teeth gritted against the pain. Joseph pouts and huffs but I'm not budging on this. I'm in agony.

"You're no fun!" he complains but I ignore him. I love him but right now, he's seriously pissed me off.

And Loric don't usually get pissed off.

"I'll see you tomorrow" I say as I leave him at his house. I turn around and huff as I think of the walk I'll have to do to get to the LDA. Not fun.

"Rey?" he calls, using his nickname for me. I sigh and turn around, my heart softening at the sad look on his face.

"Come in?" he asks uncertainly, opening the front door. Since I really need to sit down, I agree, limping inside under his watchful eye. I collapse on the sofa in the sitting room, looking out over the garden. The glass doors are open, revealing the grey sky outside.

"Drink?" Joseph asks nervously, watching as I try to straighten my leg out. I sigh and nod, trying not to give in to his big puppy-dog eyes.

He runs into the other room and I try not to laugh as I hear him clatter about, trying to make my favourite drink, tea. The last visit to Earth brought back some of these ingenious teabags that made this delightful hot drink. It's one of the newest crazes on Lorien.

Until it runs out, of course.

"Here" he whispers as he runs back in, not seeming to notice the drink sloshing out onto the floor as he runs. I smile and take it from him, watching him as his nervous eyes flicker over me.

"Rey, I'm sorry" he whispers, looking down, his curly hair flopping in front of his eyes. I smile and put my tea down, reaching out for him. His face brightens and he literally throws himself at me, curling up next to me.

"It's all right, buddy. But please, please don't do anything stupid like that again. I couldn't bear the thought of something happening to you" I beg as he hugs me around the waist. He shakes his head, his hair tickling my chin.

"I won't, promise" he whispers, looking up at me earnestly. I grin and kiss his forehead.

"I'll hold you to that" I say with a grin. He smiles and nestles back into me as a cold wind blows throw the doors. The clouds look grey and ominous.

There's going to be a storm later.

Xxx

Couple of months later

"And then he took me to a dance…" my sister, Arianna, carries on dreamily as I try not to fall asleep on the couch. I spent the day with Joseph again and once more, am exhausted. Instead of coming home, I'm at the LDA where I have to be most of the time anyway.

"Rey! Are you listening to me?" Arianna demands. I groan and rub my face.

"Joseph exhausted me. I need sleep!" I complain. She laughs and sits down next to me.

"You two spend-" she begins.

My wristband beeps.

_Beeps._

I look down, my breath catching in horror.

It's red. _Red._

I'm up on my feet at once, reaching for my bag that I've had packed ever since I met Joseph.

This is it. The attack. The prophecy is coming true.

"Rey?" Arianna's up on her feet, looking at me in shock. I stare at her sadly and then pull her close for a hug. This will be the last time I ever see her, I know it. She seems confused by my behaviour but I have very little time to explain; I need to get Joseph.

"There's an attack. Go, warn as many people as you can. Fight hard" I say in a rush before letting go and running to the door.

"Rey?" I turn back one last time as I stare at her. She's shocked, scared… as she should be. I fight the lump in my throat and tears in my eyes.

"You're going to save him… but you're leaving me" she whispers, looking at me betrayed. I nod slowly, feeling like a terrible brother.

_Above all, the Garde come first_.

"I'm sorry" I whisper as I run out the door. I hear her call my name.

That's the thing that haunts me the most.

How I run. I sprint as fast as I can, running to get to Joseph's house. All the pods have been taken by the other mentor Cepans; some of them have further to go than I do. Daxin, for example, has an hour's journey to his Garde's house.

I knew deep down that this day would come. That all our preparation _would_ count, unlike what many people have said. I leap over a small fence as I enter the housing estate Joseph lives in.

I feel horrible. I'm letting my sister die. My mother, my father, my _race_. But I'm saving Joseph and that makes me feel better. I think of his bright happy face and I know I'm doing the right thing. I have to do this; I have to get him to that airstrip.

I burst through his front door, an incredible ten minutes after the alert. I race through the house to the sitting room, where his grandmother stares up at me in shock. I see Joseph playing with his toys on the ground but he jumps up when he sees me, delighted.

"Rey!" he cheers, bounding over to me. I pull him up in my arms as Tenni stares at me in shock.

"It's really true then. The prophecy is true" she whispers. Somehow, she knows why I'm here.

I nod, clutching Joseph to me. He's chattering away, completely oblivious to everything. And then in the background, I hear the noise I've dreaded the most: bombs. I can hear the explosions from here and Tenni freezes, closing her eyes in horror.

"Go. Save him" she whispers, turning around. She doesn't ask questions and she doesn't say goodbye to the boy we both love; somehow she knows there isn't time. I leave as soon as I can, not wasting a second. Joseph squirms in my arms, wanting to get down and play but I won't give in this time.

"You ready for an adventure?" I ask him as I sprint to the airstrip. His eyes light up as he nods eagerly.

"Ready!" he crows, pumping a fist in the air.

And in the distance, I can hear more explosions.

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**So, Part 2 or The Middle will be up in about three days time.**

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	2. Adventures - The Middle

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lorien Legacies...**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I'm really glad you liked this story because it's quite a different angle for me to take :) So yeah, thank you all sooooo much!**

**This bit is the second part and after this, there's one more to go!**

**Please read!**

* * *

The Middle

On the ship

"Excuse me?" I look up from my bunk to see a cute little red-haired girl standing in front of me. Two. I smile and bend down to her level as she blushes.

"Yes, sweetheart?" I ask. She bites her lip and I reach out, holding her hands. She attempts a smile.

"Eight's crying" she says. I worry at once but pat her head, smiling down at her.

"Thanks sweetheart. You're a good girl" I say. She smiles and then leaves, just as quickly as she came. She's a shy little thing but will be powerful one day.

They all will be.

Being stuck on a ship with nine Garde and nine Cepans isn't as bad as I thought. Sure, the Garde can be naughty but that's life and besides, it's entertaining. I know Eight enjoys it since he can play with the others but occasionally he has a low moment when he misses his grandparents.

I know the feeling. I can't get Arianna's stricken face out of my mind.

"Hey buddy" I say softly as I enter the Garde's room. Joseph, no _Eight_, is curled up on his bed, sobbing into his blanket. He doesn't look up as I come in.

"He sad?" I look over to see Nine, the menace of this ship. He's entertaining but Lorien, do I feel sorry for Sandor. Though, maybe it's appropriate that Sandor is so young; he can keep up with Nine.

"Yeah, he's sad" I say, smiling at Nine. "Why don't you go and play?" I ask him. He grins cheekily but nods obediently and runs outside, calling 'Sandooooooor!'. I shake my head in amusement as I sit on Eight's bed.

"Hey, Eight" I say softly but he cries harder.

"I'm Joseph, not Eight!" he cries, raising his tear stained face. I reach out and pull him to me, gently stroking his hair back. He's still so young for all of this and I hate seeing him like this.

"But in our adventure, you're to be called Eight" I remind him. He shrugs and hiccups, looking down at the blanket. I sigh and smooth his tangled hair back, making him sigh.

"I miss Granny" he whispers. I nod and pull him closer, wiping the tears from his cheeks.

"I miss my family too…. But do you know what makes it all better?" I ask. He shakes his head, looking up sadly at me. I smile and press a kiss to his forehead.

"We have each other. We can be our own small, happy family" I say. He nods and then smiles, looking happier.

"Sooo, you'll be my dad?" he asks shyly. I laugh and nod, tickling his tummy. He giggles and squirms away, already cheered up. That's one of the things I love about him, he always cheers up really quickly. It makes my job a lot easier.

"Already am" I say and he grins properly this time. I tickle him again, harder, and he shrieks. He jumps out of my arms and runs away, just as another Garde comes in.

"Oops!" Eight says, cheerfully helping Seven up from the ground. She's very shy but adorable; just like all of them.

"Hello" she whispers shyly. Eight grins at her, a huge change in mood already. I roll my eyes as I stand up, exhausted by my Garde.

"Rey and I, we're on an adventure" Eight says with a big smile. Seven nods slowly, not sure what to say. "You want to join?" Eight asks. Seven nods again and smiles at me shyly. I smile back as I scoop them both up, both of them giggling.

"So, what adventure today…?" I begin. Eight laughs and claps his hands.

Xxx

On Earth – 7 years later

We're in India and have been here for the past couple of years. I know the instructions said to move around a lot but both Eight and I love it here. We're both so used to the culture and country; this is our second home.

Here, Eight is Naveen whereas I am still Reynolds. We live in a little rented flat and despite the dirt and smell, we love it. It's where I tell him stories about Lorien and where he learns to train.

When we first came here, he was a skinny little boy, all arms and legs. But now, even at 13, he's tall and strong. You can see the strong muscles he's already developing, thanks to my extensive training programme. Instead of giving him the 'you can only open your Chest when you're ready' crap, I've shown him everything he needs to know.

He loves his Chest. He spends hours looking inside it and discovering new things every day. He gained his first legacy a couple of months ago, teleportation. He had saved my life, endangered by an Indian taxi, ironically enough. Not a mog but a human. Ever since, we've been able to open his Chest and look inside.

The only downside is the deaths. Number 1 is gone and I have this horrible feeling that Two will go any day. It's been too long since the first scar and the mobs will want to kill us all as soon as possible.

We'll never be fully at peace.

I put some money in my pocket as I get ready to get some stuff from town. Eight's staying inside today, he's been glued to his Chest ever since he discovered this new gem that allows him to see through walls. Apparently, he says the New Delhi flats are better than any Indian soaps.

"Right, I'm off!" I call. Eight teleports next to me from the other room, making me jump and scream. He bursts out laughing and then I do too. If there's one thing I've taught him, it's to laugh. It makes everything bearable.

"Are you trying to get me killed?" I ask and he grins, teleporting onto the sofa.

"Sorry" he says, sounding like he doesn't mean it at all. I shake my head with a grin.

"Anyway, do you need anything?" I ask. He shakes his head and smiles at me.

"Have fun!" he calls as I leave. I laugh and shake my head.

"Train hard!" I call back. I hear him groan and swear under his breath. We always say that; it's our ritual.

It doesn't take long for me to get to the market where I'm getting some food. I like getting out and being alone, even for 20 minutes. I love Eight, I'd die for him, but sometimes, it's nice to be by myself.

I do the usual haggling, with I'm becoming great at, and in the end, I have what I need. I turn to leave when I bump into her.

She's beautiful.

Long, black hair and tanned skin. Her eyes are such a deep brown that it takes my breath away and yes, she has a fantastic figure. I stand there, staring shocked at her, the groceries still in my hand, as she smiles at me.

What a smile.

"Hey… are you ok?" she asks. I snap out of it and grin, nodding like a fool.

"Yeah, sorry, it's just, yeah" I ramble. She smiles kindly at me and I think my heart stops. Again.

"Right..." she trails off as I stare stupidly at her. I'm losing some seriously cool points.

"I'm Lola" she says, holding her hand out. I grin and shake it, my hand on fire where she touches it.

"I'm Reynolds" I say. She gestures to a nearby stall selling food.

"You hungry?" she asks. I grin and nod eagerly as we go off to the stall. I can't believe my luck but i try to calm myself down. I don't want to scare her away.

After one conversation, I'm in love. She's funny, pretty, kind, sweet…. I found myself laughing more than ever and she wasn't holding back either. My cheeks hurt from grinning and I know I'm sold.

I'm in love and it scares me.

"So, do you want to meet up again?" she asks with a smile. I nod happily, getting out some scrap paper. I scribble my number down with a grin and hand it to her. She smiles and then leans up onto her tiptoes, kissing my cheek. I'm literally floating on happiness as her lips linger on my skin.

"See you later, Rey" she says, unaware that she's using the nickname Eight has for me. I smile and wave her off.

I know I should stay away; she could be dangerous.

But I can't.

I'm in love.

Xxx

A month later

"Hey, Reynolds, look at this!"

Why, oh why, did I have to take my Garde to the biggest mountain range on Earth? Why? I could have taken him to a peaceful lake in America or a small valley in Wales. But no, I had to take him to the Himalayas!

Eight grins at me as he teleports over to a steep cliff, peering over it. He's very close to the edge but now with his two legacies, teleportation and telekinesis, he can save himself.

"Pretty cool, huh?" he says, his eyes wide and excited. At 14, his birthday was a week ago, he's grown so much. He's getting taller, much taller, and with all the training we've been doing in the mountains, he's starting to bulk up as well. His face is more mature now, though when he grins at me like this, he still looks like a kid.

"Awesome" I say, my voice subdued. This week away in the mountains has done nothing to suppress my longing to see Lola. How much I've missed her, how much I've wanted to see her again and hear her tell me she loves me.

Eight doesn't know about her, about our relationship. I know he won't trust her and deep down, I know he's right. Yet I can't help but love her. She's perfect: funny, sweet, beautiful...

"Are you even listening to me?" I wake up from my trance as my young Garde frowns at me. I grin sheepishly as he teleports away from the edge, me following him relieved.

"I had a dream last night" he says, his face turning puzzled. I turn to him at once, worried he might have had a dream about the mog leader Setrakus Ra. I've always believed Eight to be Pittacus; there's something about him that screams Power.

"Yes?" I ask at once but Eight smiles at me.

"Chill, Reynolds! No evil mog dude tried to slice my throat" he says, jumping up and catching a tree branch. He swings on it easily, already proving his remarkable strength. "It was a girl"

My attitude changes at once. My worried frown turns to an amused grin as I fold my arms and raise my eyebrow at him. It's about time he at least _noticed_ girls. Whenever we're in New Delhi and a girl checks him out, he _never_ notices. That, or he seems to think it's for someone else. He doesn't seem to realise he's actually quite a catch.

"Oh yeah?" I ask casually. Eight swings himself high in the air, does a somersault and lands perfectly. He then nods, oblivious to my mood.

"Actually three girls" he says. My mouth drops open and I stare at him in shock. He looks back confused before bursting into laughter.

"Not like _that!_ It was a vision I think, precognition" I grin at him but nod as he explains his dream. He's had a couple of visions like this, but we're still not sure whether it's a legacy or whether it's Lorien's doing.

"There were three of them and they were walking towards me. Two were older, about 17, whilst the third was 11" he explains. "That was it but I felt excited, happy to see them. I _know_ they were the Garde" he says with a grin.

I nod, thrilled for him. It shows that not only will he live for longer, but he will also meet up with the Garde. However, I wonder if I was in the dream and if not, why not.

"Were they pretty?" I ask, nudging him. He colours a little but nods.

"Yeah" he whispers. I laugh and throw an arm over his shoulder.

"Loric girls just don't compare to Earth girls. You'll never find any better" I say. Eight looks up at me confused.

"Really? But they're all the same" he protests. I shake my head.

"No way. Loric girls are not only prettier, trust me they're _beautiful,_ but also you know you can trust them... far more than you would an Earth girl. When Loric love, you have complete and utter trust" I say. He grins and shrugs.

"That's not gonna happen to me" he announces, jumping away from me and into a tree. I grin and shake my head.

"It will! Once you're done with the war, you'll have to repopulate our planet" I tease him. He groans and says something very rude to me in return as we walk on, back to New Delhi.

I think of Lola and how I love her. I'm a hypocrite because of what I just said to Eight, I know I am. I love her and I trust her completely.

I'm betraying Eight by being with her but I can't help it.

Xxx

A month later

"Why would you do that?!" Eight yells, his face filled with betrayal. I reach out for him, trying to stop him lashing out but he moves away.

"You've betrayed me! We're supposed to be a team!" he screams, tears streaking down his face. I bite my lip, my own eyes filling with tears.

"No, no! I love her-" I begin but he shakes his head.

"What about me?! You're supposed to love me above everything else but you don't!" he yells, his face filled with hurt. I take two steps forward to hold him close but he shoves me away, making me fall to the floor. Lola enters at this time and runs over to me, her arms wrapping protectively around me.

"Stop it, Eight!" she says. His face jars in rage and he lashes out, punching a wall. Lola shrieks but this doesn't shock me…. He's still so young.

"Go. I'll talk to you later" I say softly to Lola, gently stroking her cheek. She looks me in the eyes and then nods, shaking her head sadly as she leaves the room. I get up heavily, not wanting to face Eight's justly felt betrayal.

"You love her more than me" he says, crying. I shake my head at once, catching his arms before he can escape.

"Never. You're my son, my _son_. If I had to choose between the two of you, it would always be you. You could hate me, never talk to me, but I would still choose you. Every time" I say. He falters and then nods, looking away. I can still see the rage in his posture.

"How could you do this to me?" he whispers. I look down, regretting telling Lola the truth. How I regret it.

"I'm so sorry" I whisper. He spins around and his face is filled with such a hatred that I want to run, hide. I did this. I deserve this.

"I hate you! _How could you do this to me_?!" he shouts. I fall to my knees, openly crying now. "She'll be the end of us, I swear she will!" He yells, crying like me.

"No! It'll always be the two of us" I reach out for his hand, trying not to crawl to him. Though I will if it's the only way to get him to talk to me without screaming.

"She's taken my place" Eight whispers, his shoulders shaking. He collapses to the ground next to me and buries his head in his hands.

"Never" I whisper, moving forward and placing my hand on his shoulder. "That will never happen" I say. He continues to cry, but I can still sense the rage in him.

"You should never have gotten involved with her" he says, his voice cold and bitter. I flinch back because I know he's right; I thought the same thing when I first met her.

"You should never have told her about me" he says standing up, his fists clenched. I swallow and stare up at him in sorrow.

"You've betrayed not only me, but the Loric. I can't stand you right now!" he hisses, teleporting out of the room.

Leaving me crying on the floor.

* * *

**So, wil things get better before the end?**

**Next chapter will be the end of Eight and Reynold's journey!**

**Please review!**


	3. Adventures - The End

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lorien Legacies...**

**Hi Guys!**

**Thank you all soooo much for the lovely reviews! You guys are the absolute best and i love all the support you give me! Thank you!**

**Secondly, results came out today and I got 4 As at AS level! I'm sooooo happy so i'm going to be doing loads of writing as a result. I'm in the mood to write!**

**This is the last part to the Reynolds/Eight piece :(**

* * *

The End

A week later

"Let's go camping!"

I stare at Lola incredulously as she kneels in front of me, her black hair framing her beautiful face. Eight is sulking in his room, refusing to talk to me, but right now, as Lola and I kiss and plan our future, our fight is worlds away.

"Why?" I ask her, drawing her to me. She smiles and places her hands against my chest, kissing my shoulder.

"Because I want you and Eight to make up! We're supposed to be a family, not at war" she says. I flinch at her reference but nod all the same.

"You think it will work?" I ask her. She shrugs and smiles.

"Hopefully. You and he have a bond I can't compete with and I don't want to break it" she says, still optimistic. I think of his betrayed face and furious temper; he won't make up so easily. He hasn't talked to me in days, not since our argument.

"I could try I suppose" I say heavily. She smiles and then shoves me, moving away from me.

"Then GO! Try it out! I won't move an inch" she says, lounging across the bed. I groan but nod all the same, getting up and leaving. I pull a shirt on for Eight's sake though; I don't want to rub salt in his wounds. I make my way to his room, pausing outside.

"Eight?" I knock on his door, waiting for him to start shouting.

"Go away!" he shouts back. I sigh and then open the door all the same.

Eight is sitting on his bed, sulking. He glowers at me and then, very obviously, turns away so his back faces me. I sigh but walk further into the room. I've never been so nervous before.

"Lola and I think we should all go camping" I say. Eight laughs bitterly as he clenches his fists.

_"Lola and I think life is perfect. Lola and I are in love" _he imitates me, making my voice high and reedy which is very annoying. I shake my head with a heavy sigh.

"It's a peace gesture?" I say but he laughs bitterly, getting up to face me. His face is the opposite of his voice: sad, hurt, betrayed.

He's vulnerable.

"You think it will be that easy?" he asks angrily, eerily repeating what I said earlier. I nod and plaster a hopeful smile on my face.

"We can have another adventure" I say, resorting to desperate measures. He snorts and sits back down but I can see the curve of his lips even with his back turned.

He's smiling.

"And we can be alone. Lola will let us go off and do our own thing. We can become friends again" I try sadly. He shifts and then turns around, facing me.

"I miss you" he whispers softly. My heart melts and then I wrap my arms around him, overjoyed when he does the same. It's a temporary peace, both of us taking comfort in the one person we love the most.

"I've missed you so much, Eight" I pull back and cup his face in my hands, looking at him seriously. "And you have to know that she'll never take your place. Never" I say. He nods and smiles shyly, looking pleased.

I get up to leave sensing that he's had enough but he grabs my wrist, pulling me back down. He looks nervous so I smile encouragingly at him.

"Reynolds?" he still looks hurt and betrayed but I can tell he's warming up to me again.

I've never been so relieved.

"Yeah?" I ask. He smiles and then shrugs.

"Camping would be fun" he admits.

Xxx

A week later

"Ugh, she's finally gone" Eight says in relief as Lola leaves to get firewood. I roll my eyes and he grins; he likes to annoy me over Lola. We haven't spent any private time together but I feel as though things are patching up between us.

"Are you having fun?" I ask, nudging him gently. He grins and gently shoves me back with telekinesis.

We're still not as close as we used to be but it's huge leap from before. We've talked much more, despite Lola's constant presence and I know things will get better. We both want that, both want to be family again.

"Well, if she weren't with you 24/7 I would" he says grumpily but I know he's enjoying it. I can just tell with him.

"Don't worry. When the war starts… for real, she won't be with us" I say, my heart aching. Eight looks at me surprised and pleased.

"Why not? I thought you loved her?" he says. I nod slowly and sigh.

"I love her but I can't endanger her like that. She shouldn't have to be a part of it" I say. Eight wraps his arm around me and I grin. Lola and I may never be together forever but I'll always have him.

"So, just the two of us again" he says, trying to hide how pleased he is. I smile and ruffle his hair, making him squirm.

"Yeah. Just the two of us" I say.

We'll always be a team.

Xxx

10 minutes later

I'm dying.

I can feel the blood pouring down my chest, soaking into my clothes and the ground. The pain is unbearable but it's more than the physical pain, the emotional.

Lola betrayed me. She _betrayed _me. For _money. _And I'm leaving Eight and it's all my fault.

I sob as I weakly press my hand against my chest but I can't heal myself. That's wishful thinking of course and I know Eight can't help me. I'm going to die and it's my own entire fault.

Eight's messing up. I can see him being hit by swords and bullets but the charm protects him. He's calling my name in anguish as I slowly fade out; he knows I'm as good as dead.

And will be dead soon.

I watch as more mogs turn to ash and then Eight lets out a pained cry. My head snaps to him but he's not been injured. He's released a huge, telekinetic force that's hit the mogs and sent them flying. He teleports to my side, tears streaking down his face.

"Rey, don't go" he pleads, sobbing as his hands press to my chest. I smile up at him, glad he's here, glad I get the chance to say goodbye.

"Listen to me" I whisper as he tries to help me. He stops and listens, still sobbing, still desperate. I reach up shakily and press my hand against his cheek. Neither of us acknowledges the blood on my hand.

"I'm so sorry for involving Lola, for making her ruin this" I whisper. He shakes his head, kissing my palm. Mogs come towards us but using the last of his strength, he sends out another telekinetic blast. He's bought us some more time together.

"I forgive you. I never hated you. It was never your fault" he whispers brokenly and I feel as though a load's been lifted from me. I smile up at him.

"I'm so proud of you, you don't know how much. I know you'll be so strong, so brave, so incredible one day" I continue, knowing I'm almost gone. "You'll return to Lorien, I know you will, and you'll be happy" I say. He shakes his head, leaning down and pressing his forehead against my chest. I can feel him shaking with sobs as I kiss his forehead.

"Don't let my bad experience with love ruin yours. Find someone, be happy with her. Trust her. I'd prefer her to be Loric though… makes life easier" I whisper, trying to make everything lighter, as I've always done in the past. Eight laughs as well as sobs as he wraps his arms around me.

"I love you Eight. So, so much. You were the best thing that ever happened to me" I say as I drift off the blackness and pain dragging me away. "Love you forever"

As the last of the blackness takes me away, I hear those final wonderful words from him.

"Love you, Rey"

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! **

**The next one will be about Five and Christina and there's a slightly different twist at the beginning :D **

**Please review!**


	4. Duty - The Beginning

**Disclaimer – I don't own Lorien Legacies**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I'm really glad you enjoy reading this story, because I love writing it. Thank you all!**

**This is Christina and Five's story – my Five from my other story.**

**Also, I've updated my other story the Revenge of Ten so if you haven't already, please check it out!**

**So please read on!**

* * *

Duty - The Beginning

Christina

I stare at the small girl, sucking her thumb as she looks innocently up at me. At two years old, she's cute and very sweet, toddling around on her short legs.

But I can't look after her. I can't be her Cepan.

"You've made a mistake. She's too young" I say desperately to Brandon. He smiles complacently, not believing me, and shakes his head.

"My Garde is two years old, also. You'll be fine" he says. I shake my head in shock.

"But she's so young! I thought she would be older!" I protest. He smiles again and stares tenderly down at the girl giggling on the floor.

"You're an exceptional Mentor Cepan. As a reward, we thought you deserved someone who will come into great power" he says as though I should be down on my knees, thanking him. He turns to go with_ another _smile and panic races through me. I lunge out and grab his arm, staring desperately into his eyes.

"_Please! _I can't look after her! She's too young!" I beg. He looks down on me, confused and angered.

"You're a Mentor Cepan! You have to do your duty!" he snaps as he shakes my arm off. "That little girl is going to be a future Elder! No one could have asked for a better Garde" he hisses as he stalks off.

Wow, I just made the calmest guy in the LDA angry.

Mission accomplished.

"Pway?" I look down at the small little girl clutching my leg. She's tiny for her age and has big brown eyes. I sigh and look at her grandmother, who looks back at me in happiness. It's clear that she thinks this baby is an angel but really, I'm not that impressed.

It seems stupid that someone who doesn't like little kids is a Mentor Cepan. The thing is, I was always the top student at school and I passed my aptitude test without blinking an eyelid. I thought being a Mentor Cepan would be cool since I would be looking after _older_ kids, Garde who were about 11.

Garde who would be developing their legacies.

But oh no. In a twist of cruelty, I've been put in charge of a baby. A small one at that who looks as though she can be pushed around by anything.

Just great.

"Do you want to hold her?" I look up to see the grandmother scoop up the little girl and hold her out to me. I wrinkle my nose instinctively and she frowns, pulling her granddaughter close to her again.

"You don't like children?" I look towards the grandfather and sigh. He's a bulky man with an intimidating face but I saw the way he looked at _her_. He's a big softie really.

"Not babies that scream and cry all the time" I say truthfully. That's another thing about me; I never lie. The grandmother sighs as she kisses her little one's forehead and I bite my lip.

"Can't we get someone else?" she demands but I simply laugh bitterly.

"Oh trust me, I've tried. You're stuck with me" I mutter angrily. It's not that I hate the girl; I just wanted a Garde that I could help develop their legacies, not change their nappy!

"Well, my name's Luke and my wife is Naomi" the grandfather says. I pretend to smile and be interested but I don't think I pull it off very well. I hold my hand out to Luke.

"I'm Christina" I say. Naomi holds the little girl out, a tender smile on her face.

"This is Julitta" she says. Julitta giggles at her name and eagerly reaches out for me. I sigh but reach out for her, taking her into my arms.

She's warm and soft and smells likes babies do. My first instinct was dislike but now as I hold her, I sort of grow to like her more. I smile a bit more as she grins goofily up at me, her hand playing with my hair.

I smile down at her and she giggles back, hiding her face in my shoulder. I can hear Naomi laugh in the background but all my attention is on this little girl in my arms. She's sweet and adorable and I actually might grow to love her.

And then she throws up on me.

Xxx

"How was it?"

I glower at my mum as I enter the house, the smell of sick still clinging to my clothes. I throw my bag down and slink into the kitchen, in a foul mood.

"Horrible! She threw up on me!" I snarl as I grab a glass of water and down it. My mum watches me carefully and then attempts a smile.

"Maybe she was ill. After all 8 year olds-" she begins but I slam the glass down. My mum jumps in shock.

"She's two. _Two!_" I yell. I'm so angry which is very unusual for a Loric. "I specifically asked for older and they give me a baby!" I rant, stalking into the other room. My mum follows me, her hands fluttering by her sides. She never knows how to deal with my temper.

"Well, you're 28. I'm sure you can-" she begins but I silence her with a glare.

The thing that bothers me the most is the look on Julitta's face as I shoved her back into Naomi's hands. She had looked so upset, so rejected as I'd shouted at her grandparents. She'd begun crying and that's when I'd left.

I'd had _enough_ though.

"So when are you going back?" my mum asks. She's very pretty with long black hair and kind eyes. I look a lot like her but I don't have her soft personality. I'm tough and hard to like.

"I'm not. I've withdrawn as her Cepan and applied for another Garde instead. An _older_ Grade who will be developing their legacies" I say. My mum gapes at me and shakes her head in shock.

"You can't do that! This is your life!" she says dramatically and I roll my eyes.

"I'll still be a Mentor Cepan. Just one to a slightly more mature Garde" I say. My mum looks like she's about to say something when there's a knock on the door.

I know at once who it is. Brandon. Probably here to have a go at me and tell me to do my duty and all that crap. But I refuse to look after a baby who threw up on me. That's just gross!

Still, I sigh and get up, walking slowly to the door. I open it, waiting for the shouting to begin. Instead of the visitor being Brandon though, it's Luke, Julitta's grandfather.

"Oh, hey" I say lamely. He doesn't smile but instead motions me outside when he sees my mum appear behind me. I sigh but walk outside and shut the door. I guess he wants privacy as much as I do.

"Can we take a walk?" he says. I wonder if he's about to beat me up but he doesn't and anyway he's Loric. We're supposed to be peaceful.

"Look, I'm sorry about earlier-" I begin but he puts a hand up to stop me. That annoys me but seeing as he's a ripped Garde, I hold my tongue.

"Julitta's ok. She just had too much to eat at lunch and she was excited to see you" he says as though I didn't say anything. I sigh and look away. We're just walking down the street, heading into a larger housing area. Even here, it's beautiful.

Everywhere is beautiful on Lorien.

"Look, what are you doing here? I've applied to change Garde if that's what you want" I say. Instead of looking happy, his face clouds over and he shakes his head.

"I don't want that" he says. I look at him confused.

"Erm, why not? I kind of shouted at your 'precious angel'" I say mockingly, thinking of the grandmother's doting ways. His lips turn up in a smile and I feel myself smile too.

"Naomi does tend to think Julitta's an angel" he agrees with me. He turns serious once more. "But we need to you to be her Cepan" he says.

I sigh and come to a stop, putting my hands on my hips. "Why?! I clearly don't like kids and even though she's sweet-" I say but he cuts me off.

"There's no one else" he says. I stare at him in confusion.

"Um, yes there is. There are loads of Mentor Cepans" I say but he cuts me off.

Again!

"They're not good enough. She will be important, I know she will! This is not just some dotty grandfather but a sixth sense" I stop smirking and stare at him in awe. I've heard of Garde who can sense stuff but I've never met one. It would be pretty awesome to know stuff like that.

I mean, what if you're about to buy something and then you get a vision telling you that you'll get it as a present. Pretty damn cool.

"She needs someone who is the best. You are one of them" he says. I frown a bit.

"One of them?" I mutter. I like to be _the best_. He smiles and shakes his head at my attitude but I think he's amused. It's hard to tell with him.

"Please? She needs someone like you to look after her. Someone who is strong and a fighter… She'll need that for the future" he says. I hesitate and then shake my head.

"I'm sorry but-" I begin but he cuts me off.

I am seriously going to punch him if he does that again.

"Just meet her. Please?" he says. I sigh, knowing what he's doing. He thinks I'll give in when I see her, will fall in love with her at once. I know this but as he looks at me desperately, I think of the little girl who smiled up at me, giggling as though we shared a secret no one else knew.

"Ok" I give in. "We'll have a meeting"

Xxx

I'm settled on a sofa, nervously looking around the room for exits. If Julitta throws up on me again, that's it, I'm gone. I'm dressed in old clothes this time, not the gorgeous top I wore last time. I sigh as I think of my ruined outfit but I'm snapped out of my thoughts by the entrance of Naomi.

"Drink?" she asks me, eyeing me coldly. She doesn't like the fact that I didn't worship her granddaughter at once. I smile back 'sweetly' and shake my head.

"No, I'm good thanks" I say. She nods and then sits next to me, her eyes flicking to me every now and then.

Just then, Luke comes in carrying Julitta. She giggles when she sees me and reaches her arms out and I attempt a smile, getting up and going to her. I pull her into my arms and she snuggles in, grinning up at me.

"Let's go" Luke says to Naomi. She's still watching me but after a glare and light shove from Luke, she gets up to go. I smile 'innocently' at her as she leaves. Oh, we're going to get on _so_ well.

They shut the door behind them. Now, it's just the kid and I.

"Sowwy for sicky on you" she whispers. I can't help but laugh and shake my head. I go over to the sofa and sit down on it, setting her in my lap.

"It's all right. It wasn't too bad" I reassure her. I don't know why I am though; after all, I shouted at everyone else about it. Yet I can't shout at her, she's too sweet and too innocent.

"Pway?" Julitta asks me but unlike last time, I smile and nod.

"Sure, kid, what do you want to play?" I ask her. Might as well make her happy seeing as I won't see her again. She giggles and shrugs, hiding her face shyly in my shoulder. She's too cute.

"Hide and sewk" she says. She can't talk very well and that's one thing I'll have to help her with.

Wait! What am I saying? I'm not going to be her Cepan!

"Sure" I say, putting her down on the floor. "You go and hide" I say.

I cover my eyes and count to ten but really my mind is racing. I like her; I think she's sweet. I think of the way she looks adoringly up at me, as though she's known me forever. How she curls up in my arms and snuggles her head into my neck.

_No! Don't think like this! _I command myself, but it's too late.

"Ready or not, here I come!" I call, snapping back to reality. Since we're only allowed in this one room, she can't be far. I'll find her easily since there aren't many hiding spots.

That and her giggles are giving her away.

I make a show of crouching down and looking under the sofa even though I know where she is. She's hidden under an armchair and her feet are poking out. I go over to the cupboard and open it.

"Not here either" I say, pretending to be sad. I can hear her giggle again and I want to smile, laugh. I want to go over to her and swing her in my arms and play more games with her.

I knew this meeting would work. I knew I shouldn't have given in.

"Here!" I say, gently tickling her feet once I've looked in some more places. She squeals and crawls out, still giggling. I laugh and scoop her up, kissing her nose.

"Found you!" I announce as I sit back down again. I look up at the clock and turn serious; we only have half an hour left together.

Then I'll never see her again.

"Hey, I've got to go soon-" I begin to say but I stop when she pouts but then nods, looking down sadly.

_Ok, think Christina. What did you do what your nieces were sad?_

"But, I know someone who wants to play…" I say suggestively. She looks up, her dark eyes hopeful.

"The tickle monster!" I announce, tickling her stomach. She shrieks with laughter and squirms away but I grab her and easily pull her back into my lap.

"Noooooo!" she cries, her face red from laughing. I continue to tickle her and she tries to escape but she can't.

"Pwease?!" she begs me and I give in. I stop and she collapses against me, still giggling. I look down at her fondly and then sigh; how am I going to say no to her grandparents after this?

"You sad?" I look at the small girl in my arms, smiling as she tries to clamber up on me. She touches my face and I sigh, stroking her hair back from her face.

"Do you want me to look after you?" I ask, suddenly unsure of everything. She nods at once with a happy smile.

"You my fwiend?" she asks. She's so cute and I can't bear to see her heartbroken face again. I stare down at her, my emotions confused, and then nod with a smile.

"Yes, we're friends" I say. She giggles and then places a sloppy kiss on my cheek.

"And… you my Ce-pen?" she struggles on the word but I understand the meaning. I hesitate for a long time and her face starts to fall, filled with sadness.

I hate it.

"Yes" I say with a smile. "I'm your Cepan"

Xxx

"You want to reapply as her Cepan? Even though you resigned a day ago?"

The guy in admin is pissing me off. I've clearly said what I wanted but he refuses to listen to me. He thinks I'm stupid.

"I also want to-" I begin to threaten when Brandon comes in and stops me. He shoots me a look to tell me to behave and then smiles down at the admin guy.

"We'll sort this out later" he says. "But leave Julitta Everton in the No Cepan needed file" he commands.

Well, at least they can't get confused with file names like that.

"Thanks, I thought I was going to punch him then" I say as we leave the room. Brandon laughs and shakes his head.

"You decided to stay on then" he says in approval. I nod meekly, not wanting to get on his nerves today. Maybe another time but right now I'm not in the mood.

"Yeah, I couldn't leave her" I explain. He nods and smiles.

"Good, after all it _is_ your duty to-" he begins but I cut him off.

"No, it's not about duty and all that crap. It's because I can't bear the thought of leaving her without a good Cepan" I say. Brandon smiles sadly, looking away from me.

"See? It's not so hard to fall in love with them after all"

* * *

**Ok, so there's a lot of cuteness in there because I couldn't resist. But as you all know, things won't stay that way :(**

**So, I hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	5. Duty - The Middle

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lorien Legacies...**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I live off them! :D So yeah, there's not much for me to say but thank you!**

**Also, sorry for the late update. I'm sort of our of things at the moment because of college but I will be a better updater! Promise!**

**Please read on and of course, enjoy!**

* * *

The Middle – A year later

_I can hear the explosions as the young girl cries in my arms. I can hear the screams of the Loric dying. I can hear the sounds of the Mogadorian Aircraft descending…_

"Up! Up, up, up, up, UP!"

My young Garde is no longer cute and innocent. She's a _nightmare._

"Getting up" I mumble, drawing the blanket over my head. It's not morning, I'm usually an early riser, but I had a migraine earlier and went to have a sleep. Apparently my Garde has developed a new legacy: how to tell when I'm well enough to play.

"Up!" she demands, tugging on my blanket. I groan and instead pull her to me, snuggling in my cot together.

We're on the ship, heading to Earth. After that dreadful night, Five as I now call her, seems to have improved remarkably. She's as playful as Eight, as annoying as Nine and as cute as Seven.

A lethal combination.

She wriggle from under my arms and sits on top of me, preparing her final assault. I knew it was going to be bad but when she starts screaming at full volume, even I jump.

"Ah, it's a bloody Banshee!" Sandor yells annoyed from his bunk.

I laugh and scoop my girl up, trying to calm her down as I get out of the bunk. Sandor is hiding from Nine, who incredibly, is even worse than Five. The two Garde do not get on at all and constantly glare at each other from opposite sides of the room.

It's quite amusing.

"Play! Now!" Five demands. I prefer the name Five to Julitta. Her real name sounds too delicate, too sweet. My little girl will be far from that once I'm done with her.

No gentle childhood for my girl, no easy days for her. No, she'll be training from the first day we get to Earth. It's vital that she can fight so I'm already beginning to draw up a training programme for her. I'm learning fighting techniques from Hessu, One's Cepan, who is a martial arts expert.

Five will be deadly once I'm done with her.

"Hungry!" Five demands. I kiss her head and sigh as I enter the full room of the ship.

It's busy, even now in the late evening. Seven and Eight are playing in the corner, Six is arguing with Nine, Two and Three are also playing, whilst One is sulking in the corner. The Cepans are in a group, watching over our young Garde in amusement.

"Hey" I say as I sit down next to Reynolds, Eight's Cepan. He smiles at me and then at Five who glares back. She's got my friendly nature, it seems.

"I wanna play!" Five strops in my arms. I sigh and raise an eyebrow at her.

"Want to" she mutters, folding her arms. I've been improving her speaking loads recently but she sometimes speaks badly just to annoy me. She knows me too well already.

"When are you training to make her dinner?" Reynolds asks me, laughing. He always seems to be laughing, the opposite to me.

I grin back as my Garde strops in my arms but the smile soon fades. Unlike Reynolds, I don't laugh that much. Ever since seeing Lorien destroyed, something's changed in me, something has made me desperate for revenge. I think Five feels the same, or she's trying to act like me, because she doesn't laugh as much as she used to.

But she still laughs a lot, all the same.

"Go and play with Eight" Reynolds says to my young Garde. She looks over at Eight and then nods, jumping down from my lap. She toddles over to Eight, looking determined. Eight and Seven look up curiously but they're smiling.

"Me want to play!" she demands, her hands on her lips. Dear Lorien, she's like me.

"Ok!" Eight says energetically. He jumps up and I laugh; he towers over my Garde. Since she's only three, compared to Eight's six years, she's still a lot shorter than him.

"Either Eight is really tall or Five is really short" I whisper to Reynolds. He laughs, his eyes soft as he watches his Garde look after mine. Eight even goes so far as to put Five in his lap and wrapping his arms around her, like an older brother.

"He's really tall… _and_ Five is really short" he says. I smile and sigh as I watch Five paint her face in purple. She looks up at the two older Garde for approval and Seven giggles, clapping her hands.

"So, what's your story?" Reynolds is smiling at me kindly and all of a sudden, I hate this. How can he smile when it's clear that not all of these children will live? How can he smile when it's probable that we'll die?!

That we'll never win this war.

"Sorry, just got to get a drink" I say quickly, heading towards the kitchen. I ignore his protests, instead focusing on leaving as quickly as I can.

I take a long drink of water when I get there, wishing all this wasn't happening. My little Garde will never be her innocent self again, not when she saw so much death when I escaped Lorien with her.

I had been asleep when my communicator went off and I was a good hour from her house. I had used a pod to get there as fast as possible and fortunately, managed to save Five before the ground attack begun. We had had to travel back through the city, where many buildings had been bombed.

Seeing all those dead bodies lying around had made me feel sick. Five had been quiet, tears streaming down her face, but she hadn't really understood thank god. She hadn't realised what she was seeing.

"Chrisie?" I look down to see Five there, her face red and purple. I laugh and bend down, scooping her up into my arms. I laugh again as I get paint on my face. I love her so much that I don't care about that.

"You sad?" she asks me, kissing my nose. I smile and shake my head, pretending to be happy.

"How can I be sad when I have you?" I lie.

I wish it were that simple.

Xxx

Five is jumping up and down on the hotel bed, giggling away to herself. At six years old, she's _still_ small but a lot more grown up. Three years on the run tend to make you more mature, tougher.

But she had a huge piece of chocolate cake for pudding today so now she's extremely hyper. I smile as I look up from my computer, shaking my head at her.

"Five" I warn, even though her alias is Ruth. She hates the name but I thought it would be funny. She's definitely not a Ruth.

"What?" she asks, grinning cheekily at me. I sigh and raise my eyebrow.

"Get off the bed. We don't need attention" I warn her. She sighs but gets down all the same.

We've been off the radar pretty well so far and so have the others. No scars, no Internet results, nothing. I spend day and night on my computer but there's nothing worthy for me to see. I continue to check though, just in case.

"Have you had your bath?" I ask absently as I scrawl through an article about someone who can have metal objects stuck to them. I eliminate it at once because the man is 30 and because I've never heard of 'magnet man' being a Legacy.

"Yeeeessss" Five sighs annoyed by my lack of attention. I smile but continue to look at the Internet. I'd rather her be annoyed with me than miss something vital.

"Damn it!" I hear her swear. I look up at once, annoyed by her language, especially at her age. I'm also worried at the same time. "I left the Chest in the car!" she says.

I groan in annoyance. Usually I bring the Chest in but today I had asked her to do it. Never again. Now, it will be my responsibility.

"I'll get it" she offers before I can begin my lecture. I bite my lip but then nod, not thinking there'll be a problem.

She grabs the keys I throw to her and then slips out of the door. I continue to surf the web, making sure nothing interesting has happened. No mog sightings fortunately, maybe they've left us here in peace.

Maybe they've forgotten about us.

I hear a sudden sharp scream and I'm up on my feet at once. That's Five, I know it is. I'm out of the door in seconds and racing down the stairs outside, desperate to get to my Garde. I have a gun in my pocket and I grab it at once.

I turn the corner and my world stops. Not because of my Garde on the ground, her face frozen in terror. Not because of the Chest in plain sight next to her. Not even because of the gun being pointed at her.

No, the thing that scares me the most is the attacker.

A Mogadorian.

They're here. They're coming for us.

He turns towards me, just as he shoots at Five. The bullet never touches her and instead, his own stomach starts to bleed. He groans and stumbles but still aims the gun at me.

He never gets the chance to shoot.

Five kicks his leg and he stumbles more. I raise my own arm at once and pull the trigger, shooting him dead. He crumples into ash as Five starts to cry in shock.

She saved my life.

"Five, get our bags!" I shout, chucking her the key to the hotel room. She jumps up at once, racing up the stairs to get to the room. Other visitors are starting to come out, intrigued and worried by the gunshot.

I run to the car, desperately searching it as my hands shake. Killing a mog hadn't been as good as I'd thought it would be, it was scarier. Seeing it again reminded me of the death, of the destruction of that night.

I finally find the bug and stick it to another car, adrenalin pounding through my veins.

Five appears next to me, the bags clutched in her hands. I chuck them into the boot and command her to check under the car for any more bugs. She wriggles underneath easily, her natural speed coming in handy.

"What's going on?" I turn to see a hotel member come towards me. I panic and grab Five who's just crawled out from the car. I shove her into the car and run to the driver's side, jumping in.

People are starting to run towards us to stop us but I'm ruthless. I reverse the car, not stopping for anyone and they have to throw themselves out of the way to not get hit. Five is screaming as she straps herself in next to me but I don't stop, I will never stop.

I race down the driveway until I get to the road, where I try to fit in with the normal traffic. Five has stopped screaming but she's scared all right.

"What was that?!" Five asks, in tears next to me. I shake my head, tears blurring my vision as I try to drive the car as normally as possible.

"A mogadorian" my voice is raw. "They're the ones after us!" I say, panic making my voice loud and high.

Five is pale and shaking next to me but I can't stop to comfort her. I have to get at least an hour away before I change number plates and then get off the grid.

"They destroyed Lorien" she states. I nod, biting my lip.

"I wasn't sure if they would follow us to Earth. I didn't even know if you nine had escaped but they know! They know!"

"Why didn't it kill me?" she demands, clearly in shock. I check the mirrors but it seems like no one has followed us. I'm heading to a nearby wood, there are lots in Montana, where we can literally get off the grid.

We're going hiking.

"The Charm. You can't be killed out of order. You know this Five! Think!" I command her, my fear making me snappier than usual.

Five goes silent, still shaking.

Two hours later, we're in a camping park, in our own tent. We ditched the car half an hour away and we'll stay here the night before leaving. I still have my computer with me and it has enough battery, enough for me to search for another place to go.

"Mama?" I look up and over to my Garde, who's still shaking a little. I've never been one for touchy feely, especially after Lorien's destruction, but I reach over and hold her hand.

"Yes, Meg?" that's her new alias and she says it's better than Ruth. I'm now Lucy, though I still prefer Christina. I always will.

"Will they kill some of the Garde?" she asks. I want to smile and tell her not to worry, that I'll protect her forever. That the others will be ok and she'll never be endangered because of the charm.

But I never lie.

"Yes sweetheart" I whisper. She looks away, biting her lip.

The Mogadorians are here now and it's clear what they want.

To kill the Garde.

Xxx

Three years later

They killed Number One.

The scar around Five's ankle is proof of that as she sits on the couch, wearing shorts. I hate seeing the scar; it's a constant reminder that one child is dead and only three more stand in the way of Five's death.

Five's been training a lot now, more than ever. After One's death, both of us are more serious now, we hardly ever laugh. We still love each other but it's clear that we'll never be truly light-hearted again.

The mogs have ruined that.

"Come on, we need to train" I say as I stand up, stretching my arms out. It's early afternoon and we've spent the morning training. She's been doing a lot of strength work but she's better at agility and speed work.

"Can't we have a break? See the sights?" she begs me, looking up with her dark eyes. I sigh and look out the small window.

This small flat in Rio is hardly luxurious but it's home. We have enough room to train for now but when she's older and developing her legacies, we'll have to leave. She'll need more space. Despite having a lot of money given to us by Lorien, we haven't used much at all, preferring to hide in the slum part of Rio.

And how it pays off. There are plenty of single parents with one child living here; the mogs would spend weeks figuring out if any were Loric. And if they did eventually figure it out, we'd be long gone.

"Not today Five" I say. She groans and gets up, her face set in a scowl.

"Why not?! All we do is train!" she says. I roll my eyes and put my hands on my hips.

"This is about more than a stroppy girl wanting to have a life" I say, going over to the cupboard and getting out a mat.

"But I need one! I'm going to be fighting for god knows how long! I need to get out, see something that's worth fighting for" she begs me, her face vulnerable as she faces me.

She may be 9 years old but mentally, she's a lot older. All of the Garde will be like this, having to face things that kids shouldn't have to. I remember the happy girl tottering around her bedroom, whilst I laughed. I wish I could go back to those days.

I want to see her laugh again and not be serious.

"You know what? You're right" I say, dropping the mat. Her face lights up in a smile and she runs forward, throwing her arms around my waist. I stumble back but smile, hugging her back.

"What do you want to see?" I ask. She grins and shrugs, looking shy. I haven't seen her look so happy in years.

"Well, there's one of the wonders of the World right here…" she trails, looking up at me nervously. I smile and nod.

"It would be a shame not to see it, wouldn't it?" I say. She laughs and nods, making me smile in response. She runs off to grab a bottle of water as I reach for the sun cream. I have to say, I'm really excited to do something that's not training.

And so is she. She's the little girl I fell in love with.

Sometimes it's not always about the duty of a Cepan, but that of a parent.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Part 3 coming up in the next update and you all know what that means... a death :(**

**Anyway, please review!**


	6. Duty - The End

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lorien Legacies...**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all sooo much for the lovely reviews! I really appreciate every single one of them! Thank you!**

**So, this is the last part to Five and Christina's one-shot story. Next up will be Marina's with a small twist. Then i'll post Nine and Sandor's and there will also be a twist in that one as well. I'm also planning to do Six and Ella although I'm still debating to do John. What do you guys think?**

**Please read on!**

* * *

The End – A year and a half later

I sigh as I rub my temples, the stress giving me another headache. There's been no sign of the Mogadorians but I'm still stressed. They must be after number Two by now and I can't help but feel sorry for her. She must be terrified constantly.

The front door unlocks and I smile in relief, Five's back. We don't talk much anymore, both of us too subdued in training and thoughts of the Mogadorians. Stress has gotten to both of us and instead of supporting the other, we've drifted apart.

It kills me more than anything else.

"Hey, how was your trip?" I call as she enters the room. She went shopping for food since I wasn't feeling well enough to do it and she wanted to get out. Even though it's late evening and there's nothing much to see.

"Chrisie!" she gasps as she runs in. I look up in shock; she hasn't called me that in years.

I catch my breath when I see her.

She's covered in blood and ash. Ash. The same ash that I caused all those years ago when the Mogadorian attacked us.

"A mog. Nearby. I killed it" she says, gasping for breath as she leans against the door. I'm up on my feet at once, slamming my computer lid down as I shove it into a bag.

"Go! Pack at once! We're leaving!" I snap, instinct racing through me. She looks like she wants to cry but nods, running to her room.

She knows the drill.

We're done with packing in under an hour, a record. I need money from the bank though and will go first thing. We're now sitting in the lounge, both of us with a sword next to us and a submachine gun next to us. We're waiting the night out, waiting for a potential mog attack.

"I'm sorry" she whispers, her face drawn. I smile and reach across, catching her hand. She crawls over to me and snuggles into my embrace.

This is the closest we've been in months.

"I'm proud of you for killing it" I whisper, smoothing her hair back. She's sweating from fear and the humidity. "But we need to go. Scouts don't disappear for no reason, unfortunately" I say.

"Will we be ok?" she asks. I smile and nod, continuing to stroke her hair.

"Of course. I look after you, always have and always will. We'll be fine" I reassure her. She nods and kisses my cheek.

"Love you Chrisie" she whispers. I smile and look away, out of the window and into Rio. There could be a mog army out there for all I know.

"Love you too Five"

Xxx

I wait impatiently at the bank, the submachine gun and sword lodged in my backpack. This isn't a big bank so I was able to get in without a problem. Which is great because the last thing I need is a delay.

I should have been organised, should have withdrawn some money every week but I was too careless. I was too confident in our safe house.

I shift on my feet nervously, wishing I could just leave. Five is at home, waiting with the bags and her Chest. The car is ready to go, we just need the money.

_Of course_ the queue would be slow.

The door opens and I casually look behind to see who it is. My blood runs cold when I see the person.

More like _thing._

The Mogadorian is wearing a long, black trench coat and it's grinning a smile so horrible I want to cry. I look around to see if other people in the bank are reacting to this hideous monster. I can get out in the chaos of the humans running away.

All the 'customers' and 'staff' turn around, mog blasters in their hands. And then the horrible truth crashes down on me. They're trueborns unlike the mog just coming in. They look like normal humans and I was too preoccupied to notice. This was a trap! They knew I would come here. I want to cry as I try to back away, but the mogs inch closer to me.

I think of Five, all alone at home. I hope she runs because it doesn't look like I'm getting out of this. I feel tears come to my eyes but then I banish them away.

Five wouldn't go without a fight. Neither will I.

I grab my gun from my bag and before the mogs can react, I've managed to shoot some down. I can see mog fire race towards me, but I duck, rolling under a nearby desk. I shoot some more mogs, filling the air with ash. My tactic was to kill the mogs barring my exit and then I'd use the ash-filled air to run.

I escape out of the door; dodging the mog fire sent my way. I race out onto the street, whimpering when I see the extent of cars parked nearby with mogs pouring out. I'm about to make a run for it when something slams into me.

The mog pinning me down snarls at me but I swiftly knee him in the balls. He gasps and I shove him off, stabbing him with my sword. I can hear bullets racing towards me and I duck behind a nearby abandoned car. I can see the mogs advancing towards me, their guns ready.

I need to get to a nearby alley where I know I can get to the shantytown. Once I'm there, I'm in my hometown and the mogs will lose track of me. But first, I need to cut across this square.

I tense my legs and then release a volley of bullets at the mogs. They cry out and I make a run for it, sprinting as fast as I can towards the alley.

I'm so close, so temptingly close when something slams into me and then blinding pain hits me. I collapse to the ground in excruciating pain.

I've been tasered.

The pain is unbearable as I twitch around on the ground, trying not to scream. It's more than pain though: I've lost. I'm going to die, I know I am. They'll lug me off to a base and torture me for information as they get Five.

Her last memories of me will be of me being tortured.

I never cry though. As they handcuff me and beat me in the van, I don't cry. When they tell me what they'll do to me and Five, I don't produce one tear. I don't even cry when they tell me they've sent a mog team to my house, where Five is. When they say that they'll beat her as badly as they've beaten me I don't cry.

I'm strong.

I never cry.

Xxx

They didn't catch her.

They spent days scouting out the shantytown but she was nowhere to be seen. It was like she and the Chest vanished in thin air but I know exactly where's she gone. The Amazon. I taught her that if she ever needed to hide, she should go there. She has enough supplies to last her a week but hopefully, she'll be far away by then.

They won't catch her.

She won't know where I'm being held. She won't know how to save me and I hope she won't. She's clever enough, resourceful enough that she's survived and managed to escape. She knows I'm as good as dead.

I know she'll survive by herself. She's my daughter after all.

"Where will she have gone?!"

The mog backhands me again but I laugh, shaking my head. I'm brave, braver than I've ever been because I know they won't torture me. They tried but I didn't budge. And they don't have my Garde to manipulate; she's long gone.

"I raised a survivor!" I gloat. "She won't come back for me! She won't give you the satisfaction!" I laugh at the mog. Five will live and despite knowing she's left me for dead, I'm glad. Because I always taught her to do that.

To be selfish. To be strong.

"Shut up!" the mog screeches.

I suppose it hurts to know that she's left me for dead but at the same time, she has to be selfish to survive this war. If she comes after me, they'll kill me and then hold her here until they've killed Two, Three and Four.

"For the last time, where is she?" the mog snarls but I simply laugh.

They leave me for a couple more days, only barely feeding me. This is when I truly know she's gone and not coming back. I want to cry at the thought of her being all alone, lost and confused but then I shake off that thought. She'll live. I know she will.

On the seventh day of captivity two mogs enter, grinning eagerly and I know that's it. I'm no longer needed for manipulation and I'm clearly not going to give in to torture.

I'm useless to them.

"Time to go!" the mog says gleefully, spitting at me. You can see their fury that Five has gone, off the grid, and that gives me courage. Five has done what I could not: defeated them.

But I also know what this means.

I'm going to die.

I'm dragged up from my position against the wall and the chains are broken. I'm so weak, I can't run away from them but I know it would be useless anyway. They'd catch me in seconds.

"You won't get her" I say as they open the door to my cell. I can see a crowd of mogs outside. "You'll never catch her. She's cleverer than you and you'll never catch her" I gloat. By the lack of response by the mogs, it's clear I've hit a sensitive spot.

They know I'm right.

"You're still going to die" one of them finally hisses, making the other one cackle with laughter. I swallow and stop talking, resigning myself to my fate.

Xxx

As I'm dragged through the corridors, the mogs jeering at me and laughing at me, I don't resist.

Because she's free.

As I'm thrown into an arena, a piken roaring in the middle, I'm not scared anymore.

Because they can't catch her.

As the piken advances towards me, it's fangs dripping with saliva, I'm happy.

Because she'll fight in my honour.

As I lie on the ground, dying from the terrible wounds, I'm not in pain.

Because we had a wonderful time together. We love each other.

And as everything starts to go black and I know I'm almost gone, I'm at peace.

Because I've done my duty.

* * *

**So, hope you all enjoyed!**

**Next up is Marina and Adelina with a small twist but nothing massive :D**

**Please review!**


	7. Mistakes - The Beginning

**Disclaimer: I don't won Lorien Legacies…**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all soooo much for your lovely reviews! I really appreciate every single one of them because I love to know what you think! Thank you!**

**So this one's slightly different. The Beginning refers to the beginning of the change in Adelina and how it all went wrong with her.**

* * *

The Beginning

Adelina

The train races through the countryside, countries zipping past the window. We're stopping in France, hoping that there'll be somewhere safe to stay permanently. I doubt it but the thought keeps Marina happy.

I look down at the two precious belongings by my feet: the Chest and the gems. We can get a home, food, and clothes with the gems and seeing how cold it is outside, clothes are essential.

"Game?" I look to see Seven huddled on her chair, trying to keep warm. I hold my arms out and she scampers over, snuggling into me. Her face is cold, something I discover when she presses it into my neck.

"I think you should sleep instead" I say, stroking her hair back. We have long days ahead of us. She pouts but nods, cuddling closer. She's a good girl, obedient, unlike some other children.

I sigh as more countryside zips past us and as Seven falls into a deep sleep. We'll stay in a hotel tonight but I need to find a place where I can exchange my gems for money without getting ripped off.

Two hours later, we arrive in France and I instruct Seven to carry the gems whilst I take the Chest. If worse comes to worse, I'd rather lose the gems than the Chest.

She clings to my hand in the empty train station, her eyes darting around. I'm also nervous but I try not to show it as we step out onto the street. I have no idea what city we're in or where we're headed; I feel like crying.

"Eh!" I turn to see a man of around thirty walking towards us. He's dirty and dressed in rags and his face is mean. Seven whimpers and hides behind me.

I have a very bad feeling.

He talks in rapid French but I simply shake my head and try to speak the few phrases I picked up. "Je ne comprends pas. Je suis Américaine"

(I don't understand. I'm American)

The man nods and then lunges forwards, knocking into me. I slip on the ice and fall to the ground as he kicks me hard in the face. I cry out and try to get up but he kicks me again. I try to get up once more to protect Seven but he grabs her arm, throwing her to the ground. She lies there, crying and shaking. She doesn't know what to do; she's too young.

The man reaches for her Chest and I scream, throwing myself at him. He can't have that! He backhands me sharply and I tumble to the ground. He desperately tries to pry the Chest open but he can't and so he moves onto the sack of gems.

His eyes widen when he sees the contents and he stands to go. In one last effort, I throw myself at his legs to knock him off balance but he kicks me away and runs off.

With all my hopes of money.

"Mama!" Seven runs forward and wraps her arms around me, crying. I stand up weakly, wiping the blood from my face. I have to be strong for her even though my body is in agony.

"We'll be cold tonight, sweetie" I whisper as we trudge down the street, me wincing at every step. I finally come to a stop behind some bins. Seven wrinkles her nose at the smell but I gratefully sink down, my body hurting from the hits.

"Ok, mama" she whispers as she huddles in my arms. The bins offer us some protection from the cold wind. During the night, she shivers and cries in her sleep but at least she's asleep. I don't get any that night, too scared about what could happen.

Because without the gems, we have a big problem.

Xxx

I stand on the cold street, trying not to cry as cars race past me. I can't believe I've gotten to this point but I have.

I'm so desperate.

Seven is hidden in a nearby homeless shelter, protecting the Chest. We've made enough friends there that I know she won't be hurt but we haven't been given money. They don't have enough to spare for us.

We never had prostitutes on Lorien and I didn't realise what they were until a couple of days ago. Seven had been desperately eating soup, cramming all she could into her little mouth, in the shelter's canteen. A nearby woman explained to me how she'd gotten enough money for a meal, a train ticket, clothes and even had a little bit spare.

Just what I need.

I bite my lip as cars pass me, ashamed and embarrassed. If Brandon saw me now, Sandor, Reynolds, Christina, Katarina… They would feel pity, shame, embarrassment.

Just like I do.

A car slows and nerves erupt in me. I tuck some hair behind my ear and try to look detached but inside I'm screaming. I don't want to do this, especially when a 50 year old, overweight man steps out. He grins when he sees me, looking me up and down and I want to hide, cry.

But then I think of Seven and how she looked so happy to see food. This is for her; everything I will ever do is for her.

I get into the man's car and try not to wretch. He puts his hand on my thigh and I want to scream. I want to hit him and tell him to get off me but I don't.

I do this for her.

Hours later, I crawl into Seven's bed after a long shower. I'm still shaking, wincing at every memory. I feel lowly, horrible, a disgrace.

"Mama?" she looks up sleepily and then smiles. That makes my world feel ten times better and I smile back, kissing her cheek. She looks up at me as though I'm her whole world and I feel better about myself.

"Hey, did you miss me?" I ask. She nods, burrowing into my embrace.

"Always. Where did you go?" she asks. I close my eyes, shuddering as I remember that vile man's kisses down my neck but I conjure up a smile. She's looking up at me, her big brown eyes filled with love and happiness that I'm back.

She's all that matters.

"Business…. Look what I got you" I pull out a small necklace with a heart on. She beams and puts it on at once, kissing my cheek. I _had_ to get it for her, even if it was a waste of money. But looking at her happy smile, I know it wasn't. I know it was totally worth it because she's happy.

"Thank you mama! Love you lots" she snuggles into my arms and closes her eyes, content as can be.

"Love you more" I echo.

Xxx

She loves to dance.

She's twirling around to herself, humming her own little tune. She makes a beautiful picture, with her worn dress swinging around her and the snowflakes catching on her dark hair. People are smiling and pausing to watch her dance, some even throw her money.

The truth is, behind her happy demeanour, we're desperate. We're hungry, Seven especially since she's so young and still growing. We're cold all the time because we don't have the right clothes for this weather and our feet are cut and bruised from hours of walking on end.

If we don't do something soon, we'll die._ She'll _die.

But right now, as she laughs and twirls in the street, she doesn't seem to care. People are amazed by her optimism, her happiness and even I'm laughing, clapping along with some of the others. But soon they turn to go, off to their warm homes and cooked meals whilst the two of us remain on the street, waiting to try and live through another cold night.

I'm scared. I'm scared she won't get the chance to fight for Lorien.

"Marina" I call when she's still dancing even though no one else is watching anymore. 'Marina' is her new alias in Spain and it suits her. It's a pretty name for a beautiful girl. She turns at me with a beam, her sunken cheeks pink.

I hate seeing her like this. So weak, so sad, so hungry. I think of the little girl back on Lorien, the happy one who always laughed with me, despite being so shy around others. The one with the healthy glow about her that was so full of energy.

Years later, I'll hate myself for breaking that spirit.

She skips over to me, a smile on her face. That will soon go, replaced by her crying as her stomach cramps in pain. I'm not sure how much more I can take this. I'm not sure how long her body can stand this.

"I'm hungry" she whispers, huddling into my arms as she so often does. I count out the money, hoping I can get her some bread or something warm. I sigh when I realise there's not enough. I can't even by a piece of candy. The coins are just a tease. People are so cruel it brings tears to my eyes.

"I know, sweetheart, I know" I whisper, smoothing down her hair. I wish I could take away her pain, I really do. But I can't and that destroys me.

I hate Lorien for doing this to us, to her. My hatred shocks and scares me.

A week later and things are much worse. Seven is almost half-dead on her feet as she stumbles along after me. The life is gone from her eyes, the laughter from her lips. She doesn't talk much and definitely doesn't dance.

She's dying.

I trudge up the hill; my hand is all that holds Seven up. She slips often and finally, she can't get up. She's only seven years old and too weak to take anymore. I bend down, slipping my hands underneath her thin body and pulling her over my shoulder. She's so light, too light.

I finally manage to get the door of the convent where I drop her Chest at my feet. Seven isn't shivering which is a bad sign and is too pale. I need help and fast. I can stay here for a while until I figure out a plan of action. Until I get enough money for us to leave.

I knock on the great door, waiting desperately for someone to open it. When the Sister does, I could almost fall to my knees in joy. She appraises the thin girl in my arms and I see her eyes fill with pity.

"Do you believe in God?" she asks, probably already knowing why a desperate mother is at her door. I remember something I heard in a Church basement a week ago and the answer comes to my lips.

"The word of God is my vow" I repeat. She nods in satisfaction and moves aside, beckoning us in.

A sanctuary.

* * *

**I always imagined they'd have to go through some pretty tough things for Adelina to insist that they were going to stay at the convent :( **

**Hope you enjoyed!**

**Please review!**


	8. Mistakes - The Middle

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lorien Legacies...**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you so much for the lovely reviews! I really love all of them so much! :D **

**I'm glad you enjoyed the last chapter, especially because I was worried how you'd all take the prostitute thing but thankfully, it played off :D **

**Please read on and enjoy!**

* * *

The Middle

"How do you feel?" I ask Marina, sitting down on her bed.

We've been here a week and the change to my young Garde has been a miracle. She's been fed incredible amounts of food and dressed in warm clothes. She's had plenty of sleep and hasn't had a care in the world.

She smiles at me as I stroke the hair back from her face, noticing her fuller cheeks and her sparkling eyes. She's back to life again and I couldn't be happier. She'll still need more rest and food but she's going to be ok.

"I'm _full_" she says with a grin and my heart lifts. Coming here was the right thing to do, I know it was. The Sisters here have doted on Marina, admiring her polite manners and sweet temperament.

"We'll be staying here a while. You'll have to live with the other girls but I'll still be here" I whisper, drawing the cover closer to her chin and stroking her hair. She smiles and nods, clearly happy to stay where she is.

"It's nice here" she whispers. "They have warm meals and I can sleep a lot" she continues. I smile and lean down, kissing her forehead. Her eyes are drooping with weariness, despite having just been asleep. She had a bad fever recently but has been getting better to my relief.

"Sleep, Mar. I'll be here when you wake up" I say, gently stroking her hair until she falls asleep. She's still smiling as she drops off.

I sigh and stand up, making sure she's all tucked in. Now, I've got to talk to the Mother Superior.

I walk to her study, trying to be quiet in this ancient place. It's damp here and not much warmer than the outside but I know it's a haven compared to what we had to suffer. And it was the only place willing to offer Marina and I shelter.

"Enter" Mother Superior says when I knock on the door. I enter at once and nod my head respectfully when I see her. I'm so grateful to her and the other sisters for their generosity.

"Mother Superior, I must thank you for everything you've done for my daughter and I" I begin to say but she raises a hand to silence me. She offers me a seat with a smile and I take it, watching her nervously. She's a very old woman of around 95 but she's very kind.

"It is our duty to help those in need" she says with a smile. "How is Marina doing?" she asks, taking a sip from her tea. I smile tenderly at the thought of my Garde. Yesterday, they had given her a piece of chocolate cake and her eyes had been as wide as saucers. However, it hadn't taken her long to scoff it all down.

"Much better thank you. You and your sisters have been so kind to us. Marina will be up and about within the week, I am sure" I say. Mother Superior smiles but then turns serious.

"Forgive me for being nosy, but why are you here?" she asks. I nod, knowing this was coming; I already had the story planned out.

"My husband... he was, no _is_, a terrible man...I ran to save my daughter's life" I say haltingly. I can't tell her that we're hiding from a species intent on killing my sweet little girl.

But suddenly, it's more than a cover story. I want it to be true, not just a lie. I want to pretend that my sweet, adorable little Marina is not running from evil monsters intent on murdering her. I want to pretend that her, _our_, biggest fear was a bad father.

Mother Superior nods, but there's something about her that makes me feel as though she knows there's more, that I'm hiding something. But she doesn't say anything and simply smiles at me.

"There's also the matter of staying..." she trails off, looking at me expectantly.

I'm too weak, too pathetic to say we'll leave, find our own way out in the world. Instead, I agree to stay, pretending I'm thinking of Marina when I say we'd be happy to.

That's the first time I lie to myself to make everything better.

It's not the last time either.

Xxx

Three months later

I can't find her. I've been looking everywhere for her but I can't find her.

We've been here three months and Marina's fitting in well. She says she gets on well with the other girls, she's doing well in school and she loves it here. It fills me with delight to know she's enjoying being here as much as me.

I love it here. I love hearing the stories about God, about feeling the utter conviction these Sisters share. It's exhilarating, exciting, mesmerising. Little by little, I'm being sucked into this small yet perfect world and I don't care.

But I can't find her.

Marina and I spend our Sunday afternoons together, after Mass and El Festin, talking about Lorien and our future. I know we'll have to leave but not now, not for a little while. I've been searching for a while but I can't find Marina.

"Sister Dora?" I call when I see the harsh and pretty terrifying Sister waddling down the hall in front of me. She's the one aspect of this place I don't like, but I suppose if she's the worst thing here, things could be a lot worse.

"Sister Adelina" she replies, nodding at me. I nod in return, a respectful greeting, and attempt a smile.

"Have you seen Marina?" I ask. The woman nods and I blink in surprise; how did she see her when I haven't?

"She's in my office" she replies, crossing her arms. I furrow my brow in puzzlement.

"How did she get there?" I ask. Sister Dora as she turns away.

"She's been punished. She fell asleep in Mass"

Punished. My blood runs cold as I stare at that hateful woman walking away. Punished. My little, innocent girl.

_Punished!_

I turn and run down the corridor, needing to find my Garde. I race up the stairs towards that evil woman's study and burst through the door. My heart stops when I see her.

Marina's huddled under the grand desk in the middle of the room, her face streaked in tears. Her traditional Sunday wear has blood on it._ Blood_. I can't see her back but I can imagine the vicious streaks of red. The paddle lies on the desk above Marina.

"Mama" she whimpers when she sees me. I race forward and pull her into my arms, being careful to not hurt her further. She sobs freely into my arms as I kiss her forehead and stroke her hair.

I hate that _witch!_ I can't believe she hurt my little girl, my Marina. How could she?! How _could_ she? Doesn't she realise what abuse, what cruelty that is?

I realise I'm crying too as I hold Marina to me, kissing her forehead as she quietens down. I turn her back towards me, wincing at the vicious hits she's clearly taken today. But that's not what stops me.

She's been hurt before. I can see the marks on her back, very faint lines. My finger goes to the white lines and traces one, my hand shaking. She was hurt, badly hurt, and she never told me.

"Mar, why? Why didn't you tell me?" I ask, turning back to face her. She shrugs sadly and looks away, her lip trembling.

"Because you like it here" she whispers. She wanted to hide this from me because she knows I like it here. Her selflessness amazes me yet makes me feel terrible. Does she not trust me anymore? I take her face in my hands and look at her fiercely.

"_No one_ hurts my little girl like this and gets away with it. We'll leave, as soon as we can. I hate them for this, _hate_ them" I say. Marina's face lights up and she smiles happily.

"Promise we'll leave?" she asks, her voice soft and sweet. I nod at once, pulling her into my arms, my body shaking like hers but mine's in anger. She snuggles in closer, resting her hand in my neck.

"I promise" I say, as she snuggles into me.

I never fulfil my promise yet it's not the worst thing I do to her.

Xxx

Seven years later

"We need to leave this place!"

I smile calmly at my 14-year old Garde, watching as tears form in her eyes. Tears of frustration, of anger. She's grown up a lot and it's clear that she'll be extremely beautiful one day. She's already very pretty.

"Where? Back to the cruel world who laughs at a poor woman with her daughter?" I ask, shaking my head. "No, Marina, we're safer here"

She clenches her fists, her face tightening in anger. "_This place_ isn't safe! We're sitting ducks, waiting for the Mogadorians to get us" she hisses, leaning forwards towards me. I look around nervously, not wanting anyone else to hear our conversation.

Deep, deep down I know she's right. But fear is so much stronger than knowing you need to do what's right. And being here, it's sort of like good brainwashing. Every day that I spend here, I feel safe and special to be shared in this community. I feel lucky to have been chosen to be rewarded with such incredible knowledge.

Marina should feel the same way and stop fantasising all the time.

"They don't exist!" I lie. I have this theory that if I say this enough, they really won't exist anymore. "The more you act as though you're different, the more different you _are_ becoming! But in reality, you're no different from anyone else here!" I hiss back at her. She winces and looks away; she's terrible at confrontations.

"I want to see my Chest" she demands, gathering all her strength. I laugh bitterly as I begin to slowly walk down the empty hallway, Marina next to me.

"Whatever for?" I ask calmly. She clenches her fists as she tries to control herself.

"I've developed my first Legacy. I deserve and _need_ to see my Chest! It's my right!" she argues. I'm stunned even though I don't show it. I hadn't realised she'd developed her first legacy and that scares me.

Do I know her anymore?

"You're not ready" I say, shaking my head. I don't want her to get her Chest; how do I know that she won't just leave without me? I don't want her to go away from me.

I'm so selfish, it scares me.

"I am, though! I need you to teach me how to use my legacy!" she begs. I sigh and look at her sideways.

"What is it?" I ask. She smiles and sighs in relief.

"The ability to breathe underwater" she says.

I burst out laughing.

Her face jars in shock and then fills with hurt as I continue to laugh. I try to compose myself, knowing I'm upsetting her but this is too priceless. She's not ready to open her Chest if she thinks she can breath underwater!

"Marina, you probably just held your breath for a long time!" I say, still giggling. Her eyes are filled with tears but she shakes her head, her belief strong.

"No way! I _know_ it's my legacy! I was there for five minutes or more! _And_ I breathed in water!" she says. I sigh and shake my head.

"Even so, you're not ready" I say, shaking my head and turning away. She grabs my arm and with a strength I didn't know she possessed, drags me back over to her. I stare at her in shock; I've never seen her this angry before.

"You once told me that once I got my first legacy, you would show me my Chest! And I need help to develop it!" she hisses. Anger flares through me; how dare she talk to me like this.

"You call that a legacy! How do you develop it?! How can I teach you to breathe?! It's a useless legacy!" I cackle with laughter, making her flinch in embarrassment. A part of me feels terrible but overall, I'm furious.

At myself.

"Until you come to me with a _worthy_ legacy, you can't see your Chest" I hiss, sweeping away from her.

As I walk away, I can hear her begin to cry.

I never turn back.

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	9. Mistakes - The End

**Disclaimer: I don't own Lorien Legacies...**

**Hi guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the lovely reviews! I lvoe every single one of them! :D **

**So this is the end of Marina/Adelina's story but next up is Nine's!**

**Please read on!**

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The End - Three years later

They're here.

I can hear the screaming, hear the panic in the Convent as those monsters destroy the place. I can hear explosions and see rumble raining down around me as I run to Marina.

I need to find her. Help her.

I've failed her. Instead of training her, I hid in my own fantasy world where I believed everything would be ok, where I believed a kind and merciful God really did exist. I thought I was doing the right thing by staying here and following the 'true' way.

But I wasn't. I've not done my duty.

I finally reach her and instead of being determined to get her revenge like she would have been if she'd been trained, she's holding onto her Chest, her face terrified. She's trying to be brave, trying to fight back her panic but it's clear she's not ready for this.

And that's all my fault.

Together we run to the Church, trying to outrun the mogs. I need to get a car and then we can escape. I think of the strange man who came to the convent a couple of weeks ago, begging to help us. He'd been armed against the mogs.

I wish he was here now. Here to help her.

A mogadorian runs towards us and I push Marina away, tell her to run. I can distract him whilst she escapes; I know she's fast enough.

But what will she do after that? She doesn't know how to locate the others, doesn't know how to develop her legacies.

I'm going to be the reason she dies.

I charge towards the mog, brandishing my knife. But I'm not just fighting him. He symbolises me, ruining Marina's chance of survival, running her life. As he stabs me in the stomach, the stab of pain is nothing compared to the emotional pain.

I'm leaving her all alone.

But then, I've always left her alone. This will be nothing different.

And then she'll die. I know she will.

I bring my dagger up, slicing his neck and he explodes into ash. I hear Marina screaming my name, pain and grief in there that I don't deserve. As I crumple to the ground, I see more mogs appear and I want to cry but I'm not strong enough.

I've failed her. I've not done my duty.

She's going to die.

Because I've made too many mistakes.

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